


Jellyfish Aren't Pets!

by DRAMAtical_Panda



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Animals, DRAMAtical Murder - Freeform, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humor, I, Jellyfish, Kawaii, Kissing, Know, M/M, Spoiler Alert - Freeform, Tag, Turtles, alternative universe, beach, dmmd - Freeform, dont, fack., idk what else to tag..., no mask :), otp, to, what
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-04-27 18:30:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5059468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DRAMAtical_Panda/pseuds/DRAMAtical_Panda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bunnys. Kittens. Birds. Turtles. Mice. Jellyfish? </p><p>Clear has a habit of fostering animals......</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Basically a long drabble.

"Aoba-saaan!" Clear called out as he caught up with Aoba. Smiling, he handed his boyfriend a rainbow snow cone.

"Aaah, thanks." Aoba sighed as the spoon-straw plunged into the shaved ice. He scooped up a small portion and ate it, the refreshing flavor melting on his tongue. "Your tongue is purple" Aoba giggled, pointing at Clear.

Clear closed his mouth tightly on the spoon and flushed. "That's weird! Is there something wrong with me?"

Aoba laughed, shaking his head. "No, that's normal, see?" With that, he stuck out his tongue and made a funny face. He felt so much at ease doing this. Before he had gotten close to Clear, he would've been too shy to make a funny face, even if he was just looking at himself in a mirror alone in his bedroom.

Clear let out a sigh of relief. "So, what do you want to do next?" He asked, reaching out to interlock his fingers with Aoba's.

The blue haired man juggled his snow cone and a map of the zoo in one hand, unfolding it with his thumb and teeth. His eyes scanned the thin, wrinkled paper. "Hmmm... There's an aquarium..." Aoba mumbled, just barely loud enough for his partner to hear, "And I've heard they have some neat jellyfish..."

Clear's face lit up. "Oh, Aoba! Lets go there! Please?"

Aoba rolled his eyes and stuffed the paper into his pocket the best he could with one occupied hand. "Okay, okay, but how about we rest for a moment?"

Choosing a picnic table, they sat under a gazebo, watching people with food, pets, baby strollers, and souvenirs pass by. They lounged around in silence, cooling off with what was left of their snow cones.

Clear leaned his head on Aoba's shoulder. After realizing that he was sweating, he lifted his head back up, not wanting to make him any more hot.

The heat was unbearable that week. Midorijima was experiencing record high temperatures, and according to the forecast, the island would't be cooling down anytime soon. Aoba looked up at the sky.

Blue.

All he saw was blue. Not a single cloud in the sky.

"How could you stand wearing that coat and scarf in this weather?" Aoba asked as he rolled up his sleeves.

Clear shrugged, "It's not that bad. Besides, I don't overheat as easily as humans do."

The way Clear had said that sounded so depressing. He was man made, and they both knew it. Sure, he could experience life just as well as a human, but still, it wasn't the same.

"Sorry for ruining the mood." Aoba apologized. Tossing the snow cone container into the trash can. Clear did the same and reached for Aoba's arm.

"Let's go to the aquarium now!" Clear pleaded, tugging Aoba toward it.

"I'm still a little hot...." Aoba replied. "Isn't there a planetarium or something around here?"

Clear's pout turned into a grin. "Aoba-san! This is a zoo! There are animals! Not planets!"

Aoba smiled, as his heart skipped a beat at how adorable he sounded when he said that.

"Fine...the aquarium it is then."

Clear jumped up and down, earning a few stares from a couple strangers in their vicinity, albeit an albino-looking guy with a scarf, long coat, boots and an umbrella, jumping around in near-triple digit weather would grab some attention.

The couple walked down the path leading to the aquarium, and the closer they got, the antsier Clear became.

_God, he is adorable._

They were near the glass double doors, surrounded by a wide variety of entertainers and solicitors, passing out flyers.

The reflection in the glass made Aoba blush. The two of them, hand in hand, simply enjoying a day at the zoo. He loved spending time with Clear, and when they were together, he wasn't afraid to express himself. He could be himself without worrying about what people thought of him.

Aoba opened the door, and held it open for Clear, who darted inside.

The air conditioned building felt amazing against Aoba's scalding hair, his hot sweat seemingly vanished from his brow.

He realized then just how exhausted he really was.

Looking over at Clear, he was shocked to see him bouncing on his heels, twirling that transparent umbrella around and around. How could he have that much energy?

"Come on, Aoba-san! Before it gets any busier!"

Aoba sighed. "I told you, it's okay to drop the  _-san."_

"Sorry... I can't help it! I'll try harder..." Clear paused, feeling the  _-san_ waiting to escape his tongue. "...Aoba."

The duo entered held hands again, and entered the aquarium. The dark room glowed from the light in the water-filled tank. Rippling water fro the different kinds of sea creatures casted shadows on the awed faces of the visitors beneath the giant glass bubble. Children bordered the walls, with their hands and faces pressed against the display.

"Look at those stingrays! And the sharks!" Clear said in amazement. "It's cool how they can coexist like that!"

Aoba agreed. He had always wondered how they made it so the fish all got along.

Clear struggled to keep his fingers off the display. "Aoba..." he bit back the - _san._ "What do you think of those swordfish?"

"Swordfish eat jellyfish." Aoba said bluntly, regretting it immediately after the words left his mouth.

_Nice going, ruining the vibe, dumbass. Get a filter._

Clear looked like he was about to cry. "That's terrible! My grandfather told me that they were the sea's biggest predators!"

Aoba tried to compensate by including an informative tidbit about Clear's favorite creature. "They are, just....every animal is prey to another, just as all prey is a predator to another animal. Does that make sense?"

Clear nodded, unsure he was following Aoba. He watched Aoba walk closer to him and sneak up behind him, and he accepted Aoba's arms to wrap around his waist. He felt his insides melt like butter at the affectionate gesture.

"We haven't even seen the jellyfish yet." Aoba soothed in Clear's ear, his soft lips pecking at the ivory check. He brought his hands up, and ruffled the mass of chalk-white hair. "It's just down the hallway, see?" Aoba pointed to a glowing sign above a doorway, directing them to the jellyfish exhibit.

Clear smiled and snuggled up to Aoba, not wanting him to let go. Sighing with content, Aoba pulled from the embrace and started to walk to the exit. He thought Clear had calmed down....

.....Until he began to run.

"Slow down!" Aoba called out, chasing after him, weaving through the crowds. When he caught up with him, he almost ran into Clear.

"What's —" Aoba began but then he followed Clear's gaze.

Clear was seemingly hypnotized by the swaying of the bioluminescent jellyfish. Their tentacles were tangled with each others, the limber movement of their bodies made them appear graceful. Looking dainty, one would be surprised to know that those tentacles can kill an adult human easily.

The cylinder shaped tank towered from floor to ceiling, and Clear had to tilt his head up to see the top.

Aoba was observing the sea turtles, crawling around lazily on top of a giant flat rock, surrounded by water. He smiled as he thought about their pet turtle at home which had memories behind it that Aoba would always treasure....a day at the beach, when they discovered their most recent member to their family...

 

 

+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+

 

 

_Aoba dug his toes into the warm, ecru sand, leaning back on his elbows. Clear was close by, sculpting sand castles, which were perfect in shape and lovingly adorned with a variety of sea shells._

_"That's amazing!" Aoba praised, impressed by the complex structures Clear's hands could construct from practically nothing but sand and water. His latest creation was the equivalent to a fortress._

_Clear smiled as he clapped his hands together to rid them from the grains of sand sticking to his artificial skin. "Thank you, Aoba-san!"_

_Aoba slid closer to the water, his feet wading in the foamy salt chuck. The sun kept the shore a perfectly mild temperature. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. Aoba buried the tops of his feet with the sand underwater, and propped himself up on his elbows again._

_Just as he was about to close his eyes, something caught his eye. Something small, swimming leisurely in the shallow water._

_Squinting at the brightness of the sun reflecting on the water, he realized he was seeing a baby sea turtle._

_Aoba got Clear's attention. "Clear!! Come here and see this baby turtle!"_

_Clear's hands twitched at the sudden noise breaking the steady sound of the waves. He glanced at Aoba, who was pointing at the water._

_Clear grinned from ear to ear and stood up slowly walking toward the turtle, he was careful not to frighten it as he delicately tread to the turtle. Bending over slightly, he picked up the animal._

_"Aoba-san! Lookit! He is so kawaii!" Clear beamed, holding the turtle up to his face, waving the animal's front leg, making it look like the creature was waving hello._

_"That's adorable." Aoba agreed, focusing more on Clear, rather than the turtle._

_Aoba felt his insides heat up as goosebumps prickled his skin. He couldn't imagine how red his face was, watching his adorable boyfriend interact with nature. Clear was just so....bright-eyed. His outstretched palm held the turtle, who made no effort to escape._

_"I think he likes me!" Clear chirped, petting the turtle, tracing his fingertips along the tiny shell. "Can we keep him?"_

_Aoba furrowed his blue eyebrows in thought...."I don't know if that is a good idea... We foster enough critters as it is...."_

" _Oh, Aoba-san! Pretty please?" Clear begged, plopping down next to him Indian style, holding the turtle closer to Aoba. "I mean, look at him! How could you say no to this wittle guy?"_

_Aoba was quick to submit, seeing how happy it made Clear. "Okaaaay. Fine."_

_Clear nearly bubbled over with excitement. "Thank you!"_

_Aoba shrugged, and heaved himself up. "Let's go buy some pet supplies."_

 

 

+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+*-+

 

 

Aoba had a stupid grin on his face, remembering this. He recalled all the other animals Clear either rescued or abducted from various backyards, trees, or bushes.

Birds. Bunnies. Mice. Kittens. They had a constant flow of critters circulating in and out of their home. One bird would be released, then a kitten would find a way in its place. They'd sell the kitten, then Clear would discover a bunny or some other rodent to take under their care. And every single time, Clear's irresistible lips would curl up in a pleading smile. His seme's cuteness and overall admiration for animals would tug at Aoba's heartstrings, and as a result, they would walk home, with a wild animal in tow.

And the turtle they found at the beach that one day, was at home, waiting for them to return.

Aoba and Clear observed the tanks in silence, when Aoba could have sworn he heard Clear say something to himself...

"I kind of want a jellyfish...." Clear mumbled. 

 


	2. Jellyfish Are In the Scyphozoa Class

"I kind of want a jellyfish...." Clear mumbled, as though he was deep in thought.

 

Aoba glanced at his boyfriend, and noticed how the white-haired man stared at the tank. The jellyfish lit up his eyes with orange and pink, as Clear stood there, not moving a muscle.

Then, Clear's features softened, as if he was watching something so pitifully cute.

 

Aoba knew that look all too well.

 

"Aoba," Clear broke his gaze on the swaying fish and turned his attention toward the bluenette.

 

"Yes?" Aoba took a couple small steps closer to Clear, and the latter reached out and wrapped his arms around the other, closing the gap between them.

 

"I want a jellyfish."

 

_I knew it._

 

"Clear...."

 

The violet eyes widened, giving Aoba a pleading look that he couldn't say no to.

 

_Damn it Clear! Quit looking at me with that face._

 

"Please? It would be really fun!" Clear pulled away and took Aoba's hands, who smiled at the realistic warmth from the mechanical limb.

 

_Aoba. You need to put your foot down.... A pet jellyfish? Come on!_

 

"...."

 

Aoba was indecisive. He wanted More than anything for Clear to be happy, but he needed to intervene. This....habit of Clears.....

 

"Aoba...." Clear's eyes were watery as his pupils dilated, making it difficult to break eye contact.

 

_Those damn eyes......_

 

Aoba sighed and squeezed his lover's hand and smiled wholeheartedly.

 

"Okay. We'll look into it."

 

Clear jumped up, and clapped. "Oh, Aoba!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

 

Aoba reached out and tugged on his arm, pulling his eccentric boyfriend through the exits.

 

To much of their relief, the weather has considerably cooled off as the sun began to set. The sky was a soft orange-yellow gradient, causing Clear's pale face to glow, watching his every movement.

 

_What am I going to do with you, Clear?_

 

Clear felt Aoba's eyes on him and faced him. Aoba quickly moved his gaze elsewhere, knowing full and well he had been caught in the act.

 

"Aoba, what's the matter?" Clear saw the nostalgic expression, and automatically assumed that something was wrong.

 

The bluenette chuckled and faced Clear. "You are always jumping to conclusions. " Aoba sighed, his fingers reaching up to graze the flawless ivory skin on Clear's cheekbone. His fingers gently tracing his soft jawline.

Clear's thin eyebrows furrowed. Aoba pulled his hand away instinctively.

 

"Clear? Why the sad face?"

 

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Clear grabbed Aoba's wrist and brought it back to his face with unusual aggressiveness. The surprisingly strong grip startled Aoba.

 

"I was just thinking about how you used to be the one always jumping to conclusions. It's fascinating, how much you have changed since we first met."

 

The couple approached a simple, white house perched on their street, which was at the base of a hill. Clear gestured Aoba to join him as they sat down on the porch.   
  
  
  


•*~*•~*~•*~•*~•~*•~*•~*•~*•  
  
  
  


_"Master!!!"_

 

_Aoba's heart leaped out of his chest as a man fell from the sky, the ground outside of Junk Shop Mediocrity seemingly rumbling as the person landed._

 

_Wait... The sky?!_

 

_Leaping over the counter, Aoba bolted out of the door and came to a sudden halt. Ren, Aoba's Allmate, loyally scampering at his feet._

 

_"Is he....."_

 

_Ren spoke in his deep voice. "No. There are signs of life."_

 

_Just as he said that, the man jumped to his feet, throwing himself onto Aoba in a strong embrace._

_"Master!! I heard your voice!"_

 

My...voice? Master?

 

_Aoba squirmed free from the stranger's hold, and fell backward. He then git a good look at the profile._

 

_He was very... odd_

 

_The man wore a long coat, rain boots, and a scarf, despite the warm, cloudless day. He had a clear, vinyl umbrella in his hand._

_But was even more bizarre, was the gas mask._

 

_"Why are you....." Aoba didn't know where to begin. So many questions risen in Aoba's mind as he eyed the suspicious figure._

_"Master... I..""_

 

_"Im not your master! What are you doing?!"_

 

_This guy was nuts. Haga-san wouldn't be too thrilled to have such a questionable person loitering around the shop._

 

_"But I..."_

 

_"Go home!"_

 

_"As you wish, Master." With that, the gas mask guy submissively turned on his hear, and opened his umbrella, walking away._   
  
  
  


•*~*•~*~•*~•*~•~*•~*•~*•~*•  
  
  
  


The gas mask guy, who he later learned was named Clear, followed him, and eventually, they gotten closer and closer.

Time passed and now here they were, living together, completely inseparable.

 

"You accepted me. It took a while, but you eventually opened up. I am thankful for that."

 

Aoba's heart fluttered, as he nuzzled his head into Clear's shoulder. In turn, pale fingers -ever so carefully- ruffled the long blue hair. A relaxing sensation filled Aoba when he smelled Clear's oddly humanistic scent, snow white strands of hair tickling his face.

"Let's look into this jellyfish." Aoba sighed, his coil lighting the faces looking at it. The owner opened the browser and researched the web, as to learn more about marine coelenterates.

 


	3. Jellyfish Will Eat Peanut Butter

Aoba and Clear eventually came back inside, removing their shoes at the door. As Clear fumbled around the dark room, feeling for the light switch on the wall. His boyfriend was the other side of the room. Clear heard as Aoba let out a drawn out sigh as he threw himself onto the off-white sofa, his tired body sinking into the cushions.

"Why didn't we come in earlier? I'm exhausted." Aoba whined, blindly pulling a pillow to his chest and hugging it.

Clear took his coat and scarf off, and set the umbrella aside. He walked to the couch and leaned into Aoba, who reached out to stroke his chalk-white hair in a way equivalent to an owner absentmindedly petting their cat.

"It is a beautiful night"

Aoba couldn't disagree with that. It  _was_  quite an enjoyable evening. He raised his coil and went to the browser again.

He selected the first link that popped up, and it took him to a sketchy looking website, where there was an entire online community of people who sold exotic animals. His eyes scanning the profiles and the forum, he cringed. Most of it were "unknown users" and "known through mutuals." or  
"I can hook you up with this endangered animal. " Advertisements of various porn sites bordered the page.

"Am I going to have the police kicking down my door after I place an order on this site?" Aoba grimaced, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Ren" Aoba called out, and the Japanese Spitz came scurrying to his owner.

"..Aoba."

"Is this a reputable website?" Aoba asked, what he thought was a stupid question. He would've looked into it on his own, instead of disturbing Ren, but he was just so worn out.

"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it" Ren replied in his deep voice. "Just be careful."

Aoba nodded and searched the keyword 'jellyfish' and he was surprised to find that there were not very many people selling them.

There was one person, but he wasn't even online at the moment.

The profile was a picture of a red-haired guy with a tattoo on his face. A warm smile spread across his face.

Scrolling down, Aoba read the reviews.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  
"Thank you so much!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  
"Awesome!"

After a moment of silence, Aoba sighed, and sent a message to the user-whose name was Mizuki.

_I am interested in purchasing a jellyfish_

Reading his message out loud, he looked at the others as if to ask if it sounded okay. With a nod from Clear and Ren of confirmation, he sent it.

The trio just sat there, staring at the message, expecting an instant reply.

"Well....I guess all there is left to do is wait."

Turning his coil off, Aoba hugged Clear closer, and his eyes started to feel heavy.

"Did you know that moon jellyfish will eat peanut butter?" Clear spoke after a while.

Aoba's eyes shot open, and looked at Clear, not sure he heard him right. "Did you just say...jellyfish will eat... _peanut butter?_

Clear nodded. "Yes. Apparently peanut has lots of protein, which appeals to them."

"Well, peanut butter doesn't naturally grow in the ocean, so I think it's best if we found something a little less.... manmade?"

"Plankton? Phytoplankton?" Clear answered, as if it were something obvious.

"I guess."

There was an alert from Aoba's coil, startling him. Turning it on, he saw that the jellyfish guy was online.

He opened the message board and stared at it, and soon enough, there was a little picture of a speech bubble, indicating that they were typing

Aoba's eyebrows knitted, as he thiuggt about he decision he was making. Jellyfish aren't meant to be pets! And the last thing he needed was Clear being heartbroken when the thing died.

It would be like reliving the day where they had both a cat and a bird in their home. 

•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-

_Clear and Aoba were sleeping in their bed, when Aoba suddenly heard a hiss, followed by the flapping of bird wings._

_"No..." Aoba's eyes widened as he bolted out of bed, flinging the blankets aside. His legs tangled in the sheets, causing him to fall._

_"Shit!" Aoba cursed, looking back to see if Clear was awake._

_He wasn't._

_With a sense of urgency,  Aoba stumbled out of the room, following the noise._

_The cat growled again, and he heard the bird fly into the wall._

_Aoba ran around, trying to pinpoint their location._

_By the time he found the two animals, it had already been too late._

_The stray cat had the injured bird in his mouth._

_Deep red dyed the cats mouth and whiskers. The bird's wing was bent at an odd angle, and his neck had cat teeth pierced through it, the feathers were soggy with blood._

_Aoba knelt down and pried the dead bird out of the tabby cats mouth, and the feline simply sat down, paws perfectly placed next to each other. His tail twitched as the cat licked his lips and brought his ears forward from the angry position they were in._

_He then heard footsteps padding to the scene of the crime. Lights turned on in their wake._

_"Aoba? Is everything alright?"_

_Oh no._

_No no no!_

" _Aoba are you-"_

_Clear's hand covered his mouth as he gasped in disbelief. He looked like he was on the verge of tears._

_"What happened?" Clear asked in a shaky voice. Aoba explained, like he was a doctor breaking the bad news to a patient's family._

_Then the tears fell._

•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-•*-

There was no way he wanted to go through that again. But it was too late. He already told Clear they could get a jellyfish.

The only problem was that they had a sea turtle.

Jellyfish and turtles don't exactly get along.

_Ding!_

_New message from Mizuki_

  
  



	4. Chapter Four

The notification alert startled the couple who were lazily lounging around on the couch at the odd end of the hour.

Message from: Mizuki

Aoba clicked the message and a second window popped up. He blinked a couple of times, and read the message out loud.

"Okay! Send me your personal information. And I'll send it over."

What?

It's that easy?

Aoba clicked his tongue and did what he was told, typing the well-known information and credentials languidly, as if he did this sort of thing every day. But no doubt was he weary of the mere simplicity of this process. Was there some sort of permit he needed to get before owning an exotic animal? Is this where you go to buy one? This sketchy looking website?

Aoba paused, hovering over the send button. His finger twitching with indecision. Sighing, he glanced at Clear, who was laying across Aoba's lap, absentmindedly pulling at a loose thread on his blue shirt. "Are you sure about this?"

Clear looked up and knitted his eyebrows. "I think it would be fine. It will take a couple days for it to arrive, we have time to get stuff ready and-"

"No. I mean are you sure we can handle a jellyfish?"

"What makes you think we can't? We've taken care of all sorts of animals-"

"Clear...."

"Why are you doubting me?" Clear raised his voice, propping himself up on his elbows against Aoba's thighs.

Aoba was shocked. It wasn't normal for Clear to suddenly lash out like this.

"I'm not doubting you. I'm just not sure this is a responsible thing to do. I mean... We're buying something dangerous, even illegal. There is a reason why there is a law against owning these sort of animals. They pose a threat. And I can't have you get hurt." Aoba lectured.

Clear took a moment to gather his thoughts, then he sprawled out on Aoba's lap again, reaching up to play with his long blue hair.

"Please don't worry. I will be safe around it. I promise."

Aoba petted his white hair. He then thought of the can and the bird....

Wait...

Aren't turtles and jellyfish natural enemies?

Thats right. They were natural enemies after all. The question wasn't if it was legal, or if they were responsible enough for a jellyfish. It was more like asking if Clear be able to accept that bringing his favorite creature into their home, where a turtle poses a threat. Could he relive the cat-bird incident again?

"What are we going to do about the turtle?" Aoba mentioned, nodding toward the turtle sleeping on the wet mossy rock on the other side of the room.

"What do you mean?"

"The turtle will see the jellyfish as a snack." Aoba mentally cringed at the brutal honesty of that statement, and he saw Clear's eyes scan back and forth between him and the turtle.

"Are you making me choose between them?"

*•*~•*~•*~•*~•*~•*~•*~•*~•*~•*~•*

"Clear. We can't have a bird and a cat at the same time." Aoba sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, like a frustrated parent would do when redirecting a persisting child. "Remember what happened last time?"

The violet-eyed man clenched his teeth, his eyes fixed on the twitchy baby bluejay trying to escape the humans. The bird's innate fear of people is probably what kept her struggling. She had to get away. She had to get away.

But the bird -which more than likely fell from the birds nest in a tree above- wasn't going anywhere. With a broken wing, and the inability to know how to fly, it was a long haul to even crawl from the sidewalk and onto the neighbor's plush green lawn.

"But the cat is almost better! Once we nurse it back to health and send it off, it will only be the bird-"

"Then, while the bird is in our house, we'll stumble across another cat, and the same thing will happen. The cat will hunt the bird." Aoba said, while looking at the man knelt down next to the struggling bluejay. His pale fingers stroked her head, and that put her into a terrified frenzy, inexperienced wings flapping and flailing. Clear lifted the trembling bird into his arms, and after only a few seconds, she calmed down.

"Clear..."

Clear stroked the bird once more, then let out a shaky breath. He stood up and walked to the tree, and set it down at the trunks base. He casted one final glance at the bird, before spinning on his heal and walking in the direction of their home.

Aoba nodded and slid his arm around Clear's waist. "It'll be fine." The bluenette attempted to reassure his boyfriend, despite the fact that he knew what the mother would do to the baby when she discovered her, and sensed that a human laid hands in her baby.

The sound of an adult bird's tweets pierced their ears as it was accompanied by the smaller, higher bitched tweet of the baby. Flapping of wings caused Clear to start crying, fighting his will to run and save the bird. He knew his efforts would be fugal. Once the mother bird senses her baby has been touched by a human, her instinctive response is killing it. And that was what she was happening behind Clear's back. He couldn't even bring himself to look.

But he didn't need to see it. He felt it weigh down his heart. Imagine the indescribable pain the baby would have to feel, being killed by her own mother.

*~*•~*•~*•~*•~*•~*•~*•~*•~*•

"My mind hasn't changed." Clear said, his eyes full of hidden stubbornness that rarely showed.

Aoba shrugged and kissed his boyfriend's forehead, before proceeding. He sent the message. The purchase confirmation dinged.

The jellyfish is on the way.


	5. Jellyfish Are High Maintenance

"How much longer, Aoba-san?" Clear asked, habitually adding the -san, which didn't go unnoticed, but was pointedly ignored.

 

"The jellyfish will arrive tomorrow because Mizuki just so happens to live relatively close by in the Old Residential District." Aoba explained to the person tugging at his sleeve. "Besides, I might even intercept it on my visit to Delivery Works. I just hope Yoshie-san grants me leniency if they find out what-"

Suddenly, Clear accidentally knocked a box of grub over, triggering a couple others behind it to tumble to the floor. Luckily, they stayed sealed, but the impact made an awfully loud sound, causing Aoba to cringe. The other shoppers casted glances in their direction, before deeming the two unworthy of their attention.

The duo was browsing through the fish care supplies at the pet shop that remained in business after the collapse of Toue's reign over Midorjima. Despite the misfortune of most of the other shops closing down for good-likely because the lack of financial stability originally granted to them from Toue Inc; This pet store was able to squeeze by with their life savings and stay open. Luckily, because of the owner's paranoia towards free money from a huge corporation or corrupted government, they weren't as dependent on the funds being generously forked over to them as so it was for the other businesses.

The store was neat and organized. White, polished floors and the matching shelves towering floor to ceiling, stocked regularly with every possible thing one could ever want. Every item was perfectly placed, lined up one after the other in order of likeness. The spotless glass displays showcased both designer and handcrafted pet accessories.

Perfection. That's what Toue was supposably aiming for after all. A perfect society, free of pain, crime, and virtually worry-free. The catch was being controlled by the man with an undeserved ego and a high standing in the government. He fed his support circles and followers a false sense of happiness, channeling all the bullshit towards the test monkey-guinea pigs in human flesh. They had to suffer, under the cloth covering a magician's hand. All his dirty affairs were right under the citizen's noses.

Toue Inc; being paid top dollar by sponsors around the world was praised heavily for being such a success in building up a massive enterprise. His sponsors eventually found out and were humiliated when they finally realized that their vast efforts and support was wasted on a growing empire, founded by a man who faked his 'for the greater good' morale and his 'make the world a better place' ideology, was only for the camera. In reality, he was only in it for the power and wealth, brainwashing people and using them as pawns.

It was the labs belonging to Toue that violated humans, shoving their souls into an immortal, mechanical embodiment. Aoba found Clear, and   
had no regrets taking him in. He had a soul. Imagine all the life that has been sucked out of the countless victims who were "spirited away".

Knowing the truth, Aoba took a stand and did what was never thought possible for a young individual: Take Toue down.

He did it for Koujaku. Mink. Noiz. Tae. The brats. Haga-san. Yoshie-san, Sei, Ren. Himself. He saved them from becoming mindless swine, as though from turning into a piece of machinery that needed oil and to be annually repaired by other machines.

In the end, Toue met his final hour, lodging a bullet through his skull. Like many important people in history- his skull encased yet another incredibly influential mastermind, cut short of completing their life's grand finale.

By committing the unexpected suicide, his employees lost their jobs, and what makes the whole situation ironic is that these people couldn't go unwind and destress at Toue's Platinum Jail. They were forced to live like the average middle class, law-abiding citizen, experiencing what comes with being a human being, without cheating or having it easy.

If Toue had his way, there wouldn't be a jellyfish to shop for, or a person to freely love at the end of each day.

*•~*•~*•~*•~*•~*•~*•~*•~+•~*

"A lot of people recommend "Instant Baby Brine." Aoba said, searching for the package. His eyes crossed it and he grabbed three of them and purposefully strode to the check out counter.

Clear wrapped his arms around Aoba's waist from behind and nibbled his earlobe, kissing it softly after, and repeating.

"Clear, not here!"

"But I'm so happy Aoba is doing all this for me..." He whined, nuzzling up into the nook of his shoulder and jaw, sticking out his tongue and licking the skin.

"Will that be all for you, sir?" The cashier asked the practiced line, her eyes narrow with disinterest as she blew a bubble with her gum, popping it loudly and repeated that one movement over and over again.

Ahh. Life's imperfections.

"Y-yes. Thank you!" Aoba-who was trying to nudge Clear away, grabbed the bag, and discarded the digital receipt that popped up on his coil. He sped out the door, blushing madly.

"Clear! In public, really?"

"Sorry I just couldn't help it." Clear apologized, but it wasn't very sincere, because his arms were back on Aoba, but this time, his hands caressed his hips and torso. "You're so irresistible."

His face heating up, Aoba broke away, grabbing Clears hand and speed-walking back home. The streets were busy, so the bluenette was constantly pulling Clear along dodging people who weren't paying attention to where they were going, or moving around a rather large group of people chatting.

I just really really want to give Clear some special attention before we have to babysit a jellyfish.

**Author's Note:**

> So....what do you think? Should I continue it?  
> Check it out on Wattpad (@DRAMAtical_Panda)


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